Shandong county increases efficiency, productivity by consolidating fields

Two machines plow the farmland in Qingyun county, Shandong province. [Photo by Ma Xinlei/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Shangtang town in Qingyun county, Shandong province has entrusted over 666.67 hectares of land to the Shandong Supply and Marketing Cooperative Group as part of efforts to implement an integrated model of land sharing. As of April 2, the group had already completed 90 percent of spring farm management tasks on the entrusted farmland.

"For each 666.67 square meters of land, there is a base fee of 800 yuan ($110.5) per year, and last year there was an additional dividend of 100 yuan per 666.67 sqm. While waiting for the payment, we can also leave town for work and earn extra money," said Li Bin, a resident of Yaoqian village in Shangtang town, Qingyun county.

Smart equipment is used to manage the farmland in Qingyun county, Shandong province. [Photo by Ma Xinlei/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The smooth implementation of the integrated model is largely due to the transition from small fields to large fields. "After the land was consolidated into large contiguous plots, it was easier to mechanize operations, significantly reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency nearly 50-fold," said Nan Zhaolong, Party chief of Shangtang town.

"We plan to transform about 2,333.33 hectares of cultivated land this year and about 3,000 hectares next year. By the end of 2025, our goal is to transition 80 percent of cultivated land to the new model, while help to increase the overall amount of farmland as well as boost agricultural production and farmers' incomes," said Li Dezhong, deputy director of the agriculture and rural affairs bureau of Qingyun county. (Edited by Yang Yi)